Buddhadeb calls upon Congress, Left parties to join hands

Singur (West Bengal): Virtually launching the campaign for the ensuing assembly election in West Bengal, former chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Saturday called upon Congress and other Left parties to join hands with the CPI(M)
to defeat Trinamool Congress and indicated that industrialisation would be a major issue.
Visiting Singur, from where the Tata group had shifted their Nano car project to Gujarat, for the first time after eight years, Bhattacharjee said, "If the (Nano) factory was set up here, situation would have changed in Singur. But only darkness prevailed". He kicked off the week-long procession from Singur to Salboni, where JSW group had promised to set up a Rs35,000 crore steel plant.
Alleging that no new factory was set up in the state during the TMC rule, he said, "We will change the situation. We can do it," adding, "We want the Congress to make its stand clear in this regard.
We want Congress and other Left parties to join hands with us to oust the TMC government".
Indicating that industrialisation of the state would be a big issue in the ensuing poll, Bhattacharjee said that both agriculture and industry are needed.
"But agriculture alone is not sufficient and industry is required as thousands of educated youth want employment. Mocking at the TMC government, he said, "This Ma-Mati-Manush drama can't be allowed to run any longer.
We will save Bengal". Bhattacharjee's call to Congress came in the wake of similar statements by CPI(M) state secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra and another politburo member Mohammad Selim.
Turning to the JSW group's Salboni steel project, he said, "that would have been implemented by now but nothing came up. The state has turned into a hell and it lagged behind".
He alleged that whatever industry was there, they were closing down."The tea gardens, where everyday workers' death is reported, never faced this kind of situation," he said.
Referring to his presence at Singur, Bhattacharjee said, "Initially I thought whether I should go or not. Then I thought I should say something at this point of time which brought me here."
He also slammed Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee saying, "Everyday some festival is organised. She asked the unemployed to produce 'muri' (puff rice) and 'telebhaja' (a kind of snack).Is she doing mockery with the umemployed? This can't go on.
Time has come to make a turnaround," he said.
He also alleged that a total anarchy prevailed in the state and people were being killed while the "police is busy shielding the leaders of the ruling party".
Speaking on the occasion, Left Front Chairman Biman Bose strongly criticised the TMC government alleging that it has failed to govern the state and deliver goods.
"Law and order in the state is deteriorating. Police is working as stooge of the ruling party and the state has no democracy," Bose said.
He also warned that if their procession was attacked on its way to Salboni from Singur, "The state will be on fire. But we don't want to do this, rather we are for rebuilding the state".